New Scoring System for FCAT 2.

0 Gail Krause, Reading Coach The Florida Department of Education recently adopted a new grading scale which took effect upon the release of the November 2011 Bat 2 results. Below are the old scaled score ranges for Reading and Mathematics, grades 3-10. Notice that the scores ranged from 100-500.
FCAT Reading Scale Scores 2008- 2011 Grade 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Grade 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Level 1 100 - 258 100 - 274 100 - 255 100 - 264 100 - 266 100 - 270 100 - 284 100 - 286 Level 1 100 - 252 100 - 259 100 - 287 100 - 282 100 - 274 100 - 279 100 - 260 100 - 286 Level 2 259 - 283 275 - 298 256 - 285 265 - 295 267 - 299 271 - 309 285 - 321 287 - 326 Level 2 253 - 293 260 - 297 288 - 325 283 - 314 275 - 305 280 - 309 261 - 295 287 - 314 Level 3 284 - 331 299 - 338 286 - 330 296 - 338 300 - 343 310 - 349 322 - 353 327 - 354 Level 3 294 - 345 298 - 346 326 - 354 315 - 353 306 - 343 310 - 346 296 - 331 315 - 339 Level 4 332 - 393 339 - 385 331 - 383 339 - 386 344 - 388 350 - 393 354 - 381 355 - 371 Level 4 346 - 397 347 - 393 355 - 394 354 - 390 344 - 378 347 - 370 332 - 366 340 - 374 Level 5 394 - 500 386 - 500 384 - 500 387 - 500 389 - 500 394 - 500 382 - 500 372 - 500 Level 5 398 - 500 394 - 500 395 - 500 391 - 500 379 - 500 371 - 500 367 - 500 375 - 500

FCAT Mathematics Scale Scores 2008-2011

Now look below at the new cut scores for 2012. The Reading scores are for grades 3 10 and range from 140 302. The Mathematics scores are for grades 3 8 and range from 140 298. Students registered for Mathematics courses after grade 8 will take End of Course (EOC) subject area tests.
FCAT 2.0 Reading developmental scale scores (140 to 302) for each Achievement Level: Grade Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 3 140-181 182-197 198-209 210-226 227-260 4 154-191 192-207 208-220 221-237 238-269 5 161-199 200-215 216-229 230-245 246-277 6 167-206 207-221 222-236 237-251 252-283 7 171-212 213-227 228-242 243-257 258-289 8 175-217 218-234 235-248 249-263 264-296 9 178-221 222-239 240-252 253-267 268-302 10 188-227 228-244 245-255 256-270 271-302 FCAT 2.0 Mathematics developmental scale scores (140 to 298) for each Achievement Level: Grade Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 3 140-182 183-197 198-213 214-228 229-260 4 155-196 197-209 210-223 224-239 240-271 5 163-204 205-219 220-233 234-246 247-279 6 170-212 213-226 227-239 240-252 253-284 7 179-219 220-233 234-247 248-260 261-292 8 187-228 229-240 241-255 256-267 268-298

How will we be affected by these changes? Since the ranges have been streamlined, it will be more difficult to reach the newly rated levels this year. Our children will have to work harder and smarter as the bar is raised yearly. Tasks become more rigorous. Students will encounter more informational text and less narrative text. It will also be much more challenging for schools to make Annual Yearly Progress (AYP). How can we help the children do well? At school we are attacking the problemarea benchmarks head-on. We are concentrating on the benchmarks with which our students struggled and are incorporating them into our lesson plans across the curriculum. We are using our own textbooks and applying literacy skills to the materials used in the students regular courses. The Math department is focusing on weak Math benchmarks, too. We have reconfigured our Instructional Focus Calendars to deal with areas of deficit and to revisit them before testing takes place. We will also have Extended Learning Opportunities in Reading and Math, (ELO) for our Level 3 bubble students, those children who scored just over the Level 3 line and up to 15 points above that line. We will pull these children from their elective class for the next 12 weeks to work on Reading or Math skills, or both. At home, you can read with your child, especially newspapers and magazine articles. Ask your child what he/she read about. How do they feel about what they read? Ask them to justify their feelings and thoughts. Your child can work on the computer program, FCAT Explorer, also. You can make a word wall on your refrigerator or hold a family competition: who can read the most in the next month? For more information on how you can help your child at home, go to the fldoe.org website. Also visit BEEP through browardschools.com for other suggestions and resources. Are there any other changes? Yes. Our sixth graders will be taking their FCAT Reading sessions online. The Reading teachers will be practicing with your children at school to make sure they understand how to scroll up and down through the articles. Students will also learn to use the highlighting tool on the computers since they will be unable to underline text on paper. Sixth grade students who are ESE and have test accommodations, will continue to take the Reading test with printed booklets and scantron sheets. Good luck to everyone. We are Titans. Reach for the stars!